More immigrants from the Central American caravan enter U.S., few remain waiting in Mexico

John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune

Isabele Rodriguez and her grandson Anderson Estaley, seven years-old, from El Salvador, waited at the makeshift camp for their turn to present themselves to US Officials asking for asylum.

Isabele Rodriguez and her grandson Anderson Estaley, seven years-old, from El Salvador, waited at the makeshift camp for their turn to present themselves to US Officials asking for asylum. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

For the first time since arriving in Tijuana Sunday, more members of the Central American caravan are inside the United States than in Mexico.

Isabel Rodriguez, one of the 70 or so caravan members left in Tijuana, remained hopeful Thursday morning. The 52-year-old from El Salvador successfully guided her two grandchildren through a month-long journey to the U.S.-Mexico border -- one that left her with a sprained ankle after she tried to hop off a train in Mexico.

By mid-day Thursday, her sense of accomplishment vanished with a single phone call.

Rodriguez got word that three daughters she had left behind decided to flee El Salvador. One of their husbands, a violent gang member, threatened to kill the women when he found out Rodriguez had trekked to the border with his son.

Moments before she got the call, Rodriguez had planned to finally enter the U.S. to claim asylum. Now she had to choose between crossing the border or waiting for her three daughters to arrive in Tijuana — a journey that will take them at least a month.

“I feel so bad, but I have to smile so others don’t feel like I do,” she said.

At least 70 more members of the Central American migrant caravan led by the group Pueblo sin Fronteras crossed in to the US Thursday morning, leaving approximately 70 more waiting in Tijuana. Organizers were hoping to start crossing those in to the US in groups of 20 later in the day Thursday but expecting them to be turned back until a later time. In the meantime, those waiting passed their time in the makeshift camp of tents and tarps on the Mexican side of the border.

(John Gibbins)

Even as more and more immigrants from the caravan are allowed into the U.S. — 70 were admitted Thursday, bringing the total to 158 — Central Americans who flee death threats and gang violence oftentimes don’t escape what they evade.

Many, like Rodriguez, left family behind and are worried the same threats they are running from will claim their loved ones back home.

Balmore Ramirez Cortez, 32, from El Salvador, came to Tijuana with his two teenage sons but left behind his 5-year-old daughter fearing she was too young for the trip.

Ramirez and his sons left their small town because members of MS-13 threatened to kill them. Gang members killed Ramirez’s brothers by hacking them to pieces with machetes, one in 2016 and another in 2017, because they knew someone in a rival gang. Although the brothers weren’t gang members themselves, simply knowing a rival gang member was enough to get them killed.

He described leaving his hometown as “a cruel and difficult decision.”

“I’m not going to the United States because I want to,” he said. “I’m going to the United States to keep my family safe.”

Nearly all of the members of the caravan said the most dangerous part of their journey through Mexico was hopping on and off freight trains collectively known as “La Bestia.” Immigrants say those who sleep in the box carts risk being robbed, assaulted or kidnapped by bandits. Those who sleep on the roof risk falling asleep and falling off.

Perhaps the most traumatizing moment for Rodriguez came when she lost her grip as she was hopping off the train during a stop. She was unloading her belongings and grasping onto one of her grandchildren when she slipped and sprained her ankle. She had to walk almost two hours to the nearest medics. The injury almost caused her to give up, but her two grandsons encouraged her to continue.

“They have such strength and courage,” she said. “We’ve exposed the children to a lot of dangers but with the hope that they have a better future.”

Ramirez says the trains left his sons “traumatized.”

It was during that part of their journey that his youngest son, 14, developed a fever. He’d lay motionless all day only moving when it was necessary, like switching from one train to another.

“There were moments when, as a father, I’ve felt guilty about bringing him on this trip,” he said. “In those moments I remind myself that I’m doing this for them. I’ll never be able to give them a large inheritance but I hope one day they appreciate what I’ve tried to do.”

As Tijuana’s caravan tent city continued to shrink Thursday, organizers announced that they no longer needed donations.

People from the neighboring tent city, a larger one made up mostly of Mexican asylum-seekers, claimed some of the donations intended for the Central Americans.

Of that group, 45 Mexicans were allowed into the U.S to claim asylum Thursday afternoon. Among them was the man responsible for controlling the waiting list and maintaining order among the crowd.

Members of the group claimed they had been skipped in line while a new leader tried to re-establish order while adding more names to the wait list.

With discontent rising among the group of Mexicans, other immigrants were trying to join the list of caravan members waiting to enter the U.S.

Among them was Laura Macario Lopez, 26, from Guatemala. After the accidental death of her boyfriend, another man became interested in her. He stalked her and threatened to kill her unless she became his girlfriend, Lopez said.

Lopez, who is an elementary school teacher and was about to complete a doctorate program before she left, said she wants a normal life.

“I just want stability,” she said. “I just want peace. I just want to keep studying and work hard in life.”

On Thursday, she lingered in the caravan's tent city as she tried to get acquainted with other immigrants in hopes of being added to their list.